Fire breaks out at former far-right headquarters in Hyvinkää
A fire erupted late Monday evening at the abandoned Otsola building on Koneenkatu in Hyvinkää, the former headquarters of a far-right network in southern Finland. The blaze affected the exterior wall and roof structure of the property, according to Niklas Eriksson, the on-duty fire chief of the Central Uusimaa Rescue Department.
The rescue department received an emergency call shortly before midnight and dispatched eleven units to the scene. Eriksson confirmed that the fire was quickly brought under control and did not spread further. Ilta-Sanomat reports that rescue crews remained on-site conducting post-fire surveillance until just before 2:00 AM on Tuesday.
An eyewitness told Helsingin Sanomat (HS) that a strong smell of smoke lingered in the area around 1:00 AM. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Previous incidents and background
The Otsola building, a 500-square-meter single-story structure in the Hiiltomo industrial area, has been the target of arson before. In November 2024, a fire caused extensive damage, though the building did not burn to the ground. Police determined that the blaze had been deliberately set but did not identify the perpetrators (Ilta-Sanomat).
The property previously served as the headquarters of a far-right network in southern Finland. Helsingin Sanomat reported in late 2025 that the group had relocated to new premises in Hyvinkää, dubbed New Otsola. However, the network was forced to vacate the new location at the beginning of this year following a dispute with their landlord.